In the Future
by Hikari3434
Summary: Have you ever imagined how all the members of μ's will be like in the future? Starting in 3 years later, where our nine fellow idols had already graduated from high school and are now in college. Nico and Maki centered, plus multiple couples that I will reveal in the chapters. No longer a one-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back with a new one shot! This story, In the Future, was especially created to celebrate the air of Love Live! season 2 which I had been waiting for so looong...Anyways, hope you all could enjoy it! And I won't be updating in a while after this, so don't hate me, okay? xDD**

**Well, here's hoping for more NicoMaki moments in season 2! NicoMaki FTW!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Love Live!**

* * *

In the Future

Sounds emitted from the boiling hot pot that was being cooked as soft, frail trails of steam fluttered around in the air elegantly, making the whole kitchen, which has not been used for a quite a while, gain back a bit of its colors.

A woman, about in her early twenties, wore a cute panda-patterned apron over her white Chiffon button-down shirt as she swiftly chopped some vegetables into small chunks and dropped them into the pot. Then, with a brief spin, she grabbed the pair of chopsticks lying behind the white marble counter and started to stir the pot of soup professionally. As usual, it was dinner for two people.

After making sure it was ready, the woman turned off the stove and took a taste of her newly-prepared dish. A grin then made its way to her somehow babyish face. "Just the way I wanted." She whispered, feeling satisfied with the dishes once again. "Looks like those cooking courses Nozomi recommended to me weren't such a waste, after all."

Even if it did cost a lot of her expenses, that's for sure.

And with a quick tug of her hairpin, the woman's long, raven-black hair fell free, shimmering in the bright rays of light in the room. She then fanned herself casually with her right hand, though it did little to actually cool her down, and stuck her lithe head outside to the living room, calling.

"Maki, dinner is ready."

In this famous condominium that Maki Nishikino had rented herself, just after she enrolled into a renowned medical university overseas.

* * *

"Okay."

Now replying in a soft voice as she rose from her comfortable armchair, was a certain redhead, who had a table and floor of scattered papers all over, filled with complicated-looking formulas and numbers that could make a normal person get a headache just by looking at it. This was the result of Maki shutting herself inside her room for an entire afternoon, just by doing the year-end assignment that her professor had given them.

Heaving a small sigh, Maki stood up, moved a little to soothe her sore shoulders and slowly, started to drag her feet outside to the living room, where Nico was waiting for her.

Actually, there had been something that the redhead had noticed since a long time ago.

Every time, when her little senpai was here, there would always be Maki's favorite food lying neatly on the dining table whenever it was time to eat.

Whether it was always filled with dishes like tomato salad or omelette fried rice, until she had realized it, it had already felt like it has been happening since a long time ago.

And, why did Nico even bother to take her time to go to Maki's condo and cook for her? Well, it pretty much originated from the time when she caught her junior storing frozen food that almost occupied her whole fridge which was, as Nico claimed while pointing at her, not healthy. And ever since then, the older one had decided to bring out her own culinary skills into Maki's life.

At first, Nico would only come when it was a holiday, but now gradually as long as there were no classes or on weekends, Maki would expect her red-eyed senior to come and help out with her daily meals.

And in addition, the black-haired woman was now currently studying in a completely different university from Maki, which solely focuses on fashion designs only. Nico had gotten a full scholarship to go to the university partly because of her past connection with the idol group Muse, and with no doubt, her talent for designing clothes. It also seemed that her senior was doing well in her designing, as Maki had heard that Nico was offered work at several fashion companies that were quite famous in this country.

Unable to suppress her own curiosity, Maki had asked Nico about it before, and the black haired woman only waved a hand at her dismissively as she continued to work on her newest design, which the redhead assumed was for another designing contest again.

_"To be honest, Maki, I still don't know what company I am going to work for, but there's still a long way before I could even go out and face the society. So until that day comes, I will just focus on graduating and refining my designing skills first."_

At that time, after hearing Nico's answer, it suddenly struck Maki that it had already been a long, long time since her senior, Eli and Nozomi had graduated from Otonazaki High School. Because compared to the Nico three years ago who had her hair tied up in twin-tails, naughty behavior and famous quote 'Nico-Nico-nii~', the Nico Yazawa she was seeing right here and now had matured a lot.

But however, there was one thing about Nico that hadn't changed.

"Ne, Nico?"

"Um?"

"Don't you… think that you have gone a little over the top?"

When Nico finally couldn't stand the messy condo that Maki herself had lived in for more than a year and began to sweep the floor, mumbling things about how a girl should keep her room clean regardless of whatever or whatnot, and the redhead couldn't help but speak out.

"What are you talking about, Maki?" The senior replied indignantly as she glanced around, the unbearable sight earning the redhead yet another disapproving shake of the head from her. "This room practically looks like a dumpster! How could you even live in such a place like this, anyway?"

…was her blunt and straightforward personality, although it was still tuned off a bit judging from before.

"…Maki? Why are you spacing out? And did you even hear what I just said?"

The redhead stiffened a little, snapping back into reality as she quickly stuffed a spoonful of fried rice into her mouth. "Y-Yeah, I am, Nico."

Nico raised an eyebrow, wordlessly questioning the dubious claim, but quickly gave up as she knew Maki's stubborn tendencies; after all, these long years of staying together did not prove any waste. "As I was saying, I won't be coming here tomorrow."

"Eh?" that caught Maki off guard. "Why? Isn't tomorrow Sunday?"

Although the junior herself liked to be left alone, especially when she still had a important assignment waiting for her to finish, but without Nico being here…actually made her felt kind of lonely.

"I just received a call from someone back at the university, and they said it was urgent, so I have no choice." Nico explained, her tone showing a tint of irritation. "Well, there goes my day of leisure..."

"I see…" Maki replied, lowering her head so Nico wouldn't see the disappointment she had on her face right now. Moreover, this was about her further career, so the red head knew she shouldn't be interring with.

"So, when I'm not here, remember to eat. I have put some leftovers in the fridge; they should last until the morning, so you just need to heat them up." Nico's voice then took on a more serious timbre as she pointed the knife she was holding at Maki threateningly. "And, don't _even_ think of skipping meals."

The red head sighed and nodded. This was one of the battles that she had never won against her senior. "I get it, Nico. Now… please put the knife down, it's dangerous." Although Maki knew the Nico wouldn't really attack her, who still liked having a knife pointed at their faces?

* * *

More than words, silence could often be described as Nico and Maki's method of communication between them.

The sounds of splashing water, the resonance of plates and utensils bumping together. Maki was washing the dishes today, which said division was unconsciously formed, rather than out of spoken agreement.

Nico stood inside the washroom, preparing a bath as it had became a habit of staying the night in Maki's condo on weekends.

"Hey Maki, want to go in together?"

The senior had asked after seeing the redhead coming out of the kitchen, her crimson red eyes flashing with a tint of mischief.

"N-No way!"

Just like the occasional habit of Nico teasing Maki, the answer she would always get from the redhead was the same.

"Ah, Maki's face is so red."

"Nico!"

* * *

Then, as usual, everything would turn back into silence.

It was a phenomenon that had started since high school. As long as the other Muse members weren't present, comfortable silence would often be with these two people. Quietly, peacefully, without a word.

Maki was flipping through a book, deciding to take a small break as her assignment was halfway finished. There was not much for her to be doing, as the redhead would always be studying and doing her huge pile of homework in free times like this, but just after Nico had come into her life once again, Maki had found herself slowly, but surely, enjoying quiet moments like these. She was feeling contented to just be seated beside the said woman, who made her at ease without even talking.

Meanwhile, with a pencil in one hand, Nico had all her attention focused on the stretch book she was currently doodling on. But no matter how much she had drawn, the senior's inspiration and creativity never seemed to end. At times she would pause, tap the tip of her pencil under her chin like she was considering something while staring up at the ceiling, and finally draw it down, a broad grin forming on her lips if the design satisfied her. This was the new-found habit of Nico's that Maki had noticed after a few months of being together.

"Ne, Nico…"

"Um?"

"…Today's weather is nice, isn't?"

"…Yeah, I guess it is."

The words that were stuck inside her throat, still couldn't be spoken out up until this day.

* * *

_"Eh? That's strange, Maki-chan; I thought you and Nico-chan were already dating during high school!"_

Rin had said during one of their reunion dinners, where the orange-haired athlete revealed that she and Hanayo were in a relationship, and had asked Maki how was she doing with Nico.

_"There's no such thing like that…"_

Maki whispered, glancing sideways so that she would not meet the other two's gazes. Dating…This word… sounded so close, and yet at the same time, so far away…

—That was also the reason why it sounded unpleasant in her ears.

_"But Maki-chan, if you don't act soon, Nico-chan will be taken away, you know…?"_

Hanayo spoke, her usually meek tone disappearing, replaced by a more serious voice as the brunette looked at Maki directly in the eyes. Though, the brunette wouldn't have to bring this up, because the redhead herself had already knew this fact since a long time ago.

Maki looked away, feeling her eyes started to sting as her voice started to choke, only managing a simple:

_"…I know."_

* * *

It was night-time now, and with Maki's body heat spreading throughout the other woman's small, petite figure by her arms that were wrapped around the senior's waist, everything seemed to be heavenly for both of them at that time.

"…Hey, Nico?"

"Umm?"

"Do you…have someone you like?"

The other woman then shook slightly in her embrace upon her sudden question, staying silent as the hand she had placed on Maki's waist moved. And before the redhead could even react, she felt something warm and moist pressing against her forehead.

It had only lingered for a few seconds, but still enough to set Maki's face into flames.

"…Go to sleep."

Nico replied in a somehow irrelevant manner, her tone of voice soft. And a few moments later, with a slight turn, Maki felt the black-haired woman pulling away, creating a big gap between them like the gulf. The redhead bit her lip and chewed on them, suddenly feeling cold.

And without even thinking, she had grabbed a hold of Nico's arm, pulling her close to herself.

"Maki...?"

Nico's voice was somehow panicked.

"The air conditioner is on, so I don't want you to get a cold."

"...Well, it would be bad if I catch a cold. My exams are coming up, after all..."

Nico muttered as she unconsciously leaned even closer towards the redhead, the ends of her lips curled into a small, but noticeable smile.

"So that's why."

"I understand, but you should mind yourself more, Maki."

"Don't worry, Nico. I will."

Then finally, with sleep starting to take over them, Maki tightened her hold on Nico, who responded by moving closer to her. Slowly as they drifted off into dreamland, pure, sincere smiles were present on their faces.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi there! Originally, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I was asked/advised to write another chapter, so I just decided to turn this story out into a multi-chaptered fic. I hope you are all okay with that, lol. And also, as a result, the summary should be changed as well. ^^''' It is me, or I am not the type to be writing one shots? :x **

**One more important fact you should know. This second chapter is set **_**a few months after the first chapter**_**. So, Nico and Maki are already in a relationship with each other. Don't get confused, ne!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live!**

* * *

In the Future - chapter 2

Rays of the gentle sunlight glazed through the white, fluffy curtains as they beat themselves upon a bed full of tangled sheets. Birds were chirping and flying outside the windows around everywhere, eager to start the day as if they had known 'the early bird catches the worm' in their vocabulary. And, just down the streets, were gradually increasing numbers of people rushing by hurriedly to work while the cars whizzed past them. A very typical Monday, indeed.

A certain woman watched as the large glowing sphere rose slowly into the dull morning sky. Casting sunbeams in every direction while it illuminated the whole capital. She stared out the glass panes as the colors made by the rising sun changed, growing more vivid with the passing time. Making the sky more radiant as it climbed higher and higher into the sky.

While at this time Nico Yazawa was awake, it was still only seven in the morning according to the digital timepiece on the bedside counter. Her mind was still somehow fuzzy from last night, and she smiled at her lover, who was snoozing softly away under the comfortable duvet.

Nico reached out to sort out the sheets that had tangled together from the intense evening yesterday. Quietly lest her lover woke up, she succeeded and slipped out of the duvet, reaching for her clothes that were scattered on the tiled-floor.

The sheets then rustled, and a pair of slender, bare arms encircled her lithe waist, cuddling them.

"Don't go, Nico," The person murmured drowsily as she had her lips enclosed around Nico's ear. The tip of her nose brushed against Nico's neck while her luscious lips planted a kiss on her bare shoulder, making the black haired woman shudder deliciously.

"I can't, Maki. I have to go make breakfast; you haven't eaten anything since you came back yesterday." Nico replied as she struggled in her girlfriend's hold, but it was all in vain, as Maki had an iron grip on her. She sighed. "Look, as much as I would like to stay here with you, Maki. I still can't…Ah!"

Nico stopped, abruptly as Maki suddenly switched their positions. She was now lying on her back in the bed, with the redhead hovering above her on all fours. Loving amethyst eyes stared into surprised ruby red ones.

"I don't want anything." Maki spoke, breaking the tensed atmosphere between them as she leaned down, their faces only a few irritating inches away. Her strands of red hair fell and tickled the sides of Nico's face, letting out a faint lavender fragrance that she herself adored. There was also a dangerous glow in the younger woman's darkening lilac eyes as she moved her lips slowly.

"I only want _you_, Nico."

"W-What…Maki—!"

But she was cut off by Maki's lips crashing towards hers roughly, effectively silencing her unspoken protests. Ever since they had started dating each other, Nico had actually been surprised to find out that Maki was certainly not what she seemed to be. Quiet, elegant and the most of all, composed…

A hand then made its way to Nico's legs, interrupting her thoughts as Maki dragged her nails down her inner thighs in the most torturing, alluring way.

She shivered and bit her lips until there was a bruise in it, trying not to moan as Maki started to move her slender fingers along her flat stomach, teasing them with light flicks as she gave Nico's neck a kiss, her tender, moist tongue whirling on the soft base of her throat.

Yes, Maki was absolutely not what she seemed to be.

But Nico didn't mind it, not one bit at all.

* * *

The sun stared at the world without pause through the crystal clear sky. Fragile ornamental plants withered under the glare of the fiery orb while the trees sagged as if exhausted. The heat radiating from the streets soon created an atmosphere of an oven. Sweat rolled off their foreheads like liquid beads, darkening their clothing. Many people sought comfort from the heat by eating ice cream or drinking chilled beverages found in several coffee shops.

Nico, who was dressed in her usual white Chiffon button-down shirt with a black matching mini-skirt, tugged at the collar of her shirt as she entered a specific coffee shop named 'Cup O' Joy' that was also known as her destination.

A breeze of cool air then washed over her the moment Nico stepped into the shop, instantly calming down her flustered and unsettled mood. She looked around, still feeling somehow bothered by the heat as two pairs of hands waved at her from a table not far away.

Nico smiled at them, and turned her head to face the female waiter that was just beside her, "I have some friends there." She explained, pointing a thumb towards said table. The waiter cast a brief glance over to them and nodded, smiling politely.

"I see. Then please enjoy your stay here."

"Thanks."

As Nico neared the table with her high heels clicking slightly on the tiled floor, the two people sitting around the table waved and grinned at her. The half-Russian, who was just at the edge of it, hurriedly pulled out the cushioned chair that was pushed in and offered it to Nico, which the latter accepted gratefully.

"Being late on our very first meeting in almost a year, eh, Nico-chi?"

The other woman spoke out, her gaze shining with the same old mischievousness that never seemed to change as she eyed Nico, who was ordering a drink from another waiter, knowingly. She had her long, English violet hair tied in the usual low ponytails, but now wore a pair of dark-framed glasses over her turquoise eyes.

"One latte, please." Nico said as the waiter nodded, before going off to prepare for her order. Finally settling down a bit, she narrowed her eyes and turned to the psychology student, showing off the irritated expression that they all once knew. "Cut me some slack, Nozomi. You never change, do you?"

"Neither do you, Nico-chi." Nozomi replied with her cheeky grin.

_Nico-chi…It has been a long time since anyone called me that. _The designer student thought as she leaned back onto her seat, trying to get into a more comfortable position. _Though, it now doesn't sound too bad as I thought it did in high school…_

"Well, that aside, how are you two doing? I'm surprised that I didn't get an invitation to your wedding yet." The raven-haired woman teased as she flashed a sly grin at them. It had been a long time since those two third-years had started dating, and she thought that they would have tied the knot as soon as they enrolled into university.

Eli Ayase blushed, and slapped Nico somehow playfully on the shoulder as she exclaimed, "Oh, cut it out, Nico. We are not in that of a rush! Plus, we are both girls for goodness' sake, how do we even decide who's who?"

And at that time, the raven-haired woman's latte arrived. Nico grinned, while she fished out her wallet and gave the money to the waiter. "Simple. Eli gets the groom part and Nozomi is the bride. There, problem solved."

Nozomi looked thoughtful; she took a sip of her black coffee and turned to her girlfriend, blinking. "Umm…I think Eli-chi looks good in a tuxedo, too. When will we register?"

"N-Nozomi?!" The blonde gaped, her flawless face exploding into a huge hue of red as she stared at the ex-vice-president in pure shock. "D-Do you really…!"

Her girlfriend grinned, feeling gratified with her own reaction. "Hehe, just kidding, Eli-chi~ I am already satisfied with what we are now. There's no need to rush, just like you told me before."

"…Nozomi…"

The atmosphere around them then turned soft and lovey-dovey as the two stared into each other's eyes, seemingly lost in their own world.

"…Get a room, you two."

Nico muttered, carefully talking a sip of her hot drink as she tried not to get scalded. _God, I feel like a trespasser…Those two never change, do they? And to think that I actually walked in on them a few times before in high school too…_

"Ah, sorry, sorry."

The psychology student grinned as Eli broke gazes with her, blushing hotly. The mood between them then quietened down, as the three tried to register what just happened into their minds. They still couldn't quite believe that they were together, sitting here now, after being separated from each other for so long.

Nico continued to sip her drink as she averted her gaze to the window. There were many people walking by, dressed in different styles of clothes. It had also become one of her habits to observe what kind of clothes people normally like to wear. She needed to know, for the sake of her designs.

"…The three of us are really together now, aren't we?"

Eli spoke, breaking the eerie silence as both Nozomi and Nico turned to her. Smiling a bit, the blonde continued, "Even though Nozomi and I are always together nowadays, but it still doesn't feel right if you aren't with us, Nico. And of course, the rest of the members too."

"Eli-chi's right." Nozomi replied softly, nodding in agreement. "I like it more when all of us are together."

The raven-haired woman widened her eyes, surprised. So she wasn't the one feeling this way, after all? "G-Geez, cut it out... Why are you two being so honest all of a sudden?" Nico replied, stuttering on her words as she looked away, cheeks warming up. Despite that, a part of her felt so happy, that she could start tearing up now.

…Silence…

…_Giggle…_

And of a sudden, the three of them giggled, before bursting into loud laughter. The dense atmosphere around them immediately lifted as the three women laughed, their cheerful and merry laughter filling the whole coffee shop. Although there were quite a few people staring at them like they had gone crazy, Nico, Eli and Nozomi didn't mind. It was because they were simply too absorbed in their joyful emotions to notice.

"Looks like the three of us haven't changed at all!" Nozomi said as she chuckled, their laughter gradually dying down.

Eli giggled, wiping away the tears that were brimming in her eyes from laughing too hard. "I agree, it felt like nothing had changed between us."

"Laughing so suddenly like that…Some people probably thought that we were crazy already!" Nico spoke out in her usual irritated tone. Her lips, however, were curled up into a noticeable smile.

At last, with the invisible tension between them vanishing, Nico and the two quickly started to get into long conversations with each other. They talked about nearly everything, from what they had done since the last time they saw each other, to what university and courses they were taking now. It had been a long time, so naturally the girls had to catch up with everything that was happening in their daily lives.

Nico was, of course, not surprised to find out that Eli and Nozomi were now currently living together back in Japan, Tokyo. She was also informed that the two of them had a room in a famous condo, with their parents' financial help.

And, eventually, the conversations had turned to the others.

"Maki told me that Hanayo and Rin were in Tokyo, too?" Nico asked as she took the umpteenth sip of her latte that day.

"Yeah, though they are in different colleges than us." Nozomi replied. "Hanayo is studying culinary skills while Rin is studying gymnastics."

The woman raised a slender eyebrow. "So Hanayo's passion for rice brought her that far? As for Rin, can't say that I'm surprised, neither."

"Well, as for Honoka and Umi, both of them had planned on taking over their family's businesses. I think it was expected." Eli said as she stuffed a spoonful of caramel cake into her mouth. "Kotori, however, kind of shocked me. Instead of going overseas to study fashion, she told us that she wanted to stay back in Japan and take her mother's place as the chairman in the future."

"I see…that is shocking." Nico replied. "But I think I could understand her reasons, though. See how we worked so hard as school idols to save Otonokizaka High School?"

Nozomi grinned, playing with her nails. "That was exactly what she told us."

"Enough about us, though…" Eli replied as she squinted her eyes at Nico. "What about you, Nico? We haven't heard much about you and Maki all this time; do you even know how worried we were?"

"And you two were the only ones studying overseas, too." The spiritual woman added.

Nico frowned. "You are not helping, Nozomi."

"Come on, we are all curious. You two started dating not long ago, right? What happened? Care to shed some light on it?"

"Yeah Nico, you can say it to us. After all, me and Nozomi even flew here all the way from Japan to visit you and Maki!"

The raven-haired woman sighed, holding her forehead with one hand. They were right. Just months ago, Nico had once complained to them how she couldn't make a move on her junior no matter how she tried, despite how close they were to each other. But, she couldn't help it, could she? It was really flustering to be with the redhead, knowing that she too, had special feelings for her, but just couldn't voice it out. Still, the senior owned them an explanation for encouraging her to make the first move.

"Okay, okay, let's just say that it happened…in a misunderstanding."

* * *

**A/N: So, how on earth did our favorite couple even get into a relationship with each other? Nico said that it happened in a misunderstanding, so did that caught your interest? If so, then wait for the next chapter! **

**Regarding the members' future jobs, I have done a little research about it, and this is what I ended up having. If you feel they are not very suited, feel free to give me your opinions.**

**Nico: A designer, because I have seen her with a sewing machine in some scenes. And other than that, I really don't have any other jobs for her to be taking. A model? Lol, then I'm afraid the model world would be all 'Nico-Nico-nii~' **

**Maki: A doctor, which has been decided since the very beginning. Some of you may say a musician works too, but after seeing Ooshima Tomo-sensei's drawing of adult Maki working as a doctor in Twitter, I changed my mind. **

**Honoka: A Japanese sweets marker, as she is very likely to take over the shop and a part of it is because she can sing whenever she wants to while doing her job. Plus, I think Honoka can produce more creative and delightful sweets if she had tried.**

**Kotori: I had seriously considered of making her study fashion like Nico, but her mother came into my mind. So, I decided to have Kotori wanting to take over Mrs. Minami's chairman place of Otonokizaka high School. It somehow fits, right? **

**Umi: Taking over her family's business, which runs a school of traditional Japanese dance. I found the information regarding this on a Love Live wiki which has all information on the phone app School Idol Festival. Besides, who doesn't love dancing Umi-chan?**

**Hanayo: I had a pretty hard time to decide her job, but considering her passionate love for rice and all, I think studying culinary skills are the best for Hanayo here. Who knows, she might even excel in it~**

**Rin: With no doubt, it's something related to sports. But I think that sports like running or high jumps are too easy for her, so, gymnastics, maybe? Imagine Rin going all 'nya, nya, nyaaa!' happily while doing those spins! So cute, and so precious! **

**Nozomi: Wise and knowing, can see through people easily and tends to be a bit of a schemer? Well, I think a psychologist is what fits her! She could give her patients a fortune-telling service, and tell them their fortunes! …Well, it would be even better if she doesn't grope them (for females), though.**

**Eli: I haven't mentioned about it in the story, so I'll write it out now. A professional ballet dancer. I think that, after joining ****μ's** **and regaining her confidence, Eli would step up onto the road of being a ballet dancer again. And if she did, then I'm sure she will succeed! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This third chapter of In The Future was especially written after watching Episode 9 of Love Live! Season 2, which was with no doubt, my most favorite episode out of these nine episodes so far. I literally shed tears along with Honoka as she jumped into Eli's embrace, crying so touchingly hard about not wanting the nine of them to end here, since they worked so hard to get into Love Live. I'm pretty sure every Love Liver has the same feels as me.**

**Even now, I am still looping 'Snow Halation' as I typed this author's note. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Love Live.**

* * *

In the Future - chapter 3

The sun had completed its tour for the day, and had now been replaced by the myriad stars, which dotted the pitch-black velvet beautifully. A low, waning gibbous moon hovered tenuously in the twilight firmament, bestowing a very dim shine upon the whole capital. The spacious sidewalks and pavements were crowded with people, mainly business men and women who were hustling home to unwind and get an early day of rest.

Maki, who was in the progress of doing her incredibly mundane assignments, had seen this type of picturesque outside when she passed by the glass-hinged door that connected to the balcony. Soothing her sore shoulders that were gradually starting to ache, she stopped in her tracks and stared wistfully out at the vividly lively capital. Through the limitless flickering lights, cars were neatly lined up along the roads, occasionally even letting out shrill beeps as the driver was getting edgy from waiting.

Chuckling softly, the redhead conceded "So very much like Nico." and walked towards the marble counter, taking a snowy-white cup from the glass rack that was plastered on the wall. Maki then nonchalantly poured herself a cup of water and sipped on it, her pair of lilac eyes quickly flickering to the digital clock piece that was hung on the cream-colored wall. 8.13 pm.

_Nico's out with Nozomi and Eli, so I doubt that she would come back early. I should go take my shower first._

After closing the door of her bedroom with a soft click, Maki started to strip out of her casual clothes and went into the bathroom stall, turning the knob to the left. Steam began to rise while hot water rinsed over her slim body, prompting the redhead to heave a satisfied sigh. The relaxing water eased off her muscle aches and pains, as she scrubbed off all the dirt from the body with soap. Gently caressing her own cherry-red hair, Maki then lathered some shampoo on it, washing off the natural scent of her hair, replacing it with an herbal fragrance.

Half an hour later, the redhead got out clad in a white towel. A faint, pleased smile graced her luscious lips while she sat down in front of the makeup counter, running her slender fingers through the soaked strands of cherry-red hair. The crystal-clear mirror reflected the flawless features of Maki's facade, with her pale face now slightly flushed due to the hot, but relaxing bath she took. A few droplets of water then dripped down the ends of her hair as she turned to grab the hairdryer.

_There's nothing like a good old shower to ease all my body aches._

* * *

Nico Yazawa was currently experiencing hell in this moment.

The loud, upbeat rock music boomed into her ears, making Nico subconsciously frown while her head gradually felt heavier and more painful as the minutes passed. Reaching a hand up to rub her sore temple, the raven-haired woman forcefully opened her half-lidded eyes and looked around.

It was a big open space with people, mainly around the same age as her, either conversing casually with drinks in their hands or dancing to the music that was playing too obnoxiously loud, according to the latter. The bar was just right across the room, a wall of neatly lined up glass bottles illuminated attractively in the sparkling neon lights.

Heaving a regretful sigh of having to turn up in a place like this, Nico laced her fingers together and stared down sullenly at the dark wooden table she had her elbows on. It had to be past 7 pm now, judging by the darkening sky outside while several lampposts were already lightening up, dimly lighting up the deserted pavements as small pieces of trash and stray magazines skittered by.

_…I should be back at home cuddling Maki by now…_

The thought alone made Nico grimace as she adjusted her position, deliberately ignoring the excited cries and whistles of people echoing in the background. Propping up her cheek with one hand, the raven-haired woman stared scornfully out at the window and silently cursed her own unfortunate luck. If it wasn't for Nozomi and Eli's constant pleas to go and _visit_ a night club overseas in the café this afternoon, she shouldn't even be here at the first place!

_I'll have to make sure the two of them pay me back sooner or later._ Nico affirmed for the umpteenth time that day, the corner of her eyes sharply catching a sight of the two women striking up a friendly conversation with the female bartender across the spacious room. A feeling of dread then washed over Nico when she realized that they weren't exactly leaving this place soon.

"Hey there, beautiful. Why the frown on your face?"

Nico didn't even notice anyone was beside her until the leather couch shifted. Slightly startled, she glanced aside to see an Australian blond seating himself next to her. After the man had settled down in a comfortable position, he turned and flashed a cheeky grin towards Nico, who in return, only narrowed her eyes as she resisted the urge to scoff out loud. _Men with their sweet words._

"…Do you need something?" Nico spoke out apathetically, after noticing that the blond beside her here had no intention to leave her alone any time soon. If Nico herself were to remember clearly, she had seen this same man trying to flirt with five girls a while ago and was rejected within thirty seconds.

"Let me guess…recently broke up with your boyfriend?" the blond inquired smoothly, leaning over to grasp the raven-haired woman's left hand.

Furrowing her eyebrows in disgust, Nico scowled and pulled her hand away reflexively. Alarmed, she looked at the man before her directly in the eyes, radiating out a defensive and frosty aura. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Don't have one yet, huh?" He dissolved in laughter, taking the opportunity to casually sidle closer, which prompted Nico to scoot further away, inwardly cursing at the troublesome situation she was captured in. "Considering that you have such cute and womanly features, I can't see why those men don't want you."

Her eyebrow twitched upon the man's insensitive words. 'Cute' was an exception, but the word 'womanly' had always been a taboo in Nico's dictionary. During these three years, with the help of the constant exercises and balanced nutrient intake of Nico's, her efforts were certainly paid off. However, when you put her own figure in contrast with an average woman from the streets, the results still somehow irked her.

"So, what do you want from me?" Nico asked as she folded her arms across her chest, suppressing the doubling urge to criticize and lambast him. After all, these three long years of college experiences that taught her how to interact and deal with various kinds of people did not prove any waste.

"You can just call me Alex." the Australian man named Alex replied, grinning. "And, wouldn't you feel a strong urge to come up and speak to a beautiful young woman who was sitting in the corners all by herself?"

_Well, he's smooth with his words._ Nico thought, wistfully raising an eyebrow. Her tsundere girlfriend, Maki couldn't even whisper a simple 'I love you' out of her stuttering mouth if the raven-haired girl had ever sweet-talked her into it. "Okay then, Alex. I appreciate your kindness, but we have nothing to talk about." _So please go away and leave me alone._ She added mentally.

"Hey, don't be like that! How about I introduce my friends to you? They are over there." Alex answered as he pointed a thumb towards a certain table not far away. It was fairly larger than the one Nico was currently sitting around right now, with quite a few people enclosing it noisily and clamorously. A frown crept onto the raven-haired woman's face. _No way am I ever going into that crowd._

"No, sorry, but I don't like crowds. Plus, I have friends with me." Nico tried to speak as nonchalantly as she could, but her darting red gaze to where Nozomi and Eli were at betrayed her unease.

The blonde man smiled and glanced towards the direction Nico was looking at. "Your friends, huh? Okay then!" he suddenly struck his palm with a fist, grinning widely. "I'll keep you accompanied until your friends come back!"

"…What?" Nico could clearly hear something inside her crack. And that something was named dear sanity.

* * *

Now dressed in a snowy white low-cut tank-top and comfortable stretch pants, Maki lightheartedly hummed to herself and took a sip of her freshly-brewed coffee as she casually strolled down the homepage of her Facebook account. Placing her mug down onto the table gently, the redhead stifled a yawn and looked inattentively through all the boring posts of people she didn't knew, but were still so-called 'friends' with them.

**Welcome song! Our hearts become one,**  
** So this place is our never ending stage...**

"Umm?" Letting out a feeble sound, Maki diverted her gaze from the screen and glanced over to her phone, which was placed besides her personal laptop. It was vibrating while her own voice rang around the whole room melodiously.

_Incoming call: Rin_

_Rin? That's strange; she usually doesn't call me at this time…_ The redhead thought, puzzled as she reached out for the ringing device. Sliding the answer button, Maki pressed the phone onto her ear and spoke into it. "Hello?"

"Hi hi, Maki-chan!" The recognizable cheerfulness and enthusiasm tone of voice chirped happily at the end of the line. "It's me, Rin nya!"

_Of course I know who you are._ Smiling dependently, Maki nodded even though the person herself couldn't see. "So, what's wrong, Rin? You never call me during this time."

"Wow, so Maki-chan is still the same, huh? Always not wasting time and cutting to the main point nya." Rin replied at the end of the other line, her innocent and semi-childish tone sounding impressed like usual.

_Some things just don't change, huh?_

Hearing that awestricken pitch of voice made Maki smile softly, as she recalled those joyful and blissful days of being in Otonokizaka High School. Instinctively, the redhead then found her pair of lilac eyes fixed at a certain picture frame hung on the cream-colored wall.

It was a memorial picture, taken from three years ago during the third years' graduation day. While holding up each of their high-school graduation certificates, Nico, Nozomi and Eli were crouched in the middle, with the remaining members sandwiching them closely. Although the nine of them smiled brightly for the picture to be taken, glittering wet tears could still be seen tickling down each and every one of the Muse members' flushed cheeks, especially for the three newly-graduated students.

Recalling back that unbearably melancholic day, Maki could never forget how Nozomi, Eli and Nico cried that day. The three of them were practically sobbing, while taking separate turns to hug the first and second-years farewell. Even Maki herself couldn't hold back her brimming tears, finally allowing them to fall freely when it was her turn. Through her tear-stained vision, she also saw some other graduates and parents shedding a few tears for them, probably too touched by their strong bond of friendship.

"…Maki-chan? Are you alright?"

And all of a sudden, Maki was pulled back to the present. She let out a weak chuckle, hastily rubbed her slightly watered eyes and turned her attention back to her laptop again, voicing out her confusion. "…Nothing, what did you call me for?"

"Oh, that's right! You know, Maki-chan…" The orange-haired athlete's voice then theatrically trailed off, adding a dramatic pause to what she was about to announce, "Rin and Kayo-chin are dating now nya!"

"I see." came the calm, unruffled response. A soft sigh escaped out of Maki's lips afterwards as she pulled the phone from her ear, intentionally ignoring the fazed cries of Rin exclaiming why couldn't she get more of a reaction from Maki herself. "Calm down, Rin. Everyone knew that you and Hanayo would get together sooner or later." She tried to reason with her former classmate and idol-mate.

"…Really nya?" Rin dumbly asked after pausing for a few good seconds. The way she sounded so completely ignorant to what was the perceptible fact in Maki's observant eyes made the redhead wanted to sigh and face-palm.

"Really." Maki affirmed in her harmonious voice, "You and Hanayo couldn't be even more obvious about it if you tried."

The other end slowly faded into utter silence. And when Maki thought that Rin couldn't make a decent comeback against her reasonable justification, the orange-haired woman suddenly threw in an unexpected name into their senseless conversation, "But! Isn't it the same for you and Nico-chan, Maki-chan?"

"Eh?" The redhead was taken aback, but she didn't bother to hide it either. Coughing, Maki felt her cheeks rapidly heating up as she tried to keep her reserved composure at the thought of her lover. "I-I don't get what are you talking about, Rin."

"It's no use denying it, Maki-chan~ Rin and the others also know how you like Nico-chan for a looong time now~" Even though Maki couldn't see her smiling in the phone, she could still feel Rin grinning like a cat finally catching a canary. She grimaced at the thought.

"Speaking about Nico-chan, where is she, Maki-chan?"

Taking another sip of her now lukewarm coffee, Maki hurled a quick glance towards the digital clock piece again. It was now 9. 25 pm. Compared to the feeling of relaxedness Maki had before, the restricting sensation of apprehension and anxiety started to grip onto her heart. "…Nico's not back yet. She's still out with Nozomi and Eli."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that! Nozomi-chan and Eli-chan are there too, right?" Rin began to gibber excitedly, seemingly unaware of her former classmate's inner turmoil and conflict right now. Even if Maki didn't give any replies to her constant jabbering, Rin just reassumed that the redhead was listening to her as usual and continued on. "You know, Maki-chan, Honoka-chan and the others were actually planning to go visit you and Nico-chan at first, but something happened to their class schedules so they couldn't make it. Now that Rin think about it, Honoka-chan almost threw a fit nya! … "

"Umm…" Maki mumbled, not really paying any attention to Rin as she frowned worriedly. The redhead's pair of mesmerizing amethyst eyes then fixed itself on the ticking clock on the wall, wondering if the time had ever flown by this fast before.

* * *

_Act like I am listening. Then I'm sure that he won't notice if I do that._ Nico thought absentmindedly, now irreverently just doing the simple idea that flashed before her mind while she was being drowned in the depths of boredom a few minutes ago. The Australian blond man was definitely no fun to talk to, and she had regretted not going with the lovey-dovey couple to get their drinks. At least, striking a conversation with the bartender was far better than the one Nico was having with this man. A rather nonsensical, stupid, dull and pointless conversation. Which wasn't really a conversation, unless you counted one where only one person was talking while laughing in the conversation.

"Which it is obviously not." She muttered softly under her breath. With her own patience thinning itself out for the past ten minutes, Nico doubted that she could restrain herself from wringing the neck of the man beside her to death any longer.

"What? Did you say something?" The blond asked, giving her a very oblivious look.

Closing her eyes, the raven-haired woman shook her head and sucked in an exasperated sigh. "…Nothing." She managed to squeeze out through gritting teeth.

He smiled. "Okay! When I went into the washroom, I saw the two of my friends getting it on like, so much! Could you ever believe that? Laughing, I then said…" _God, could anyone just please help me..._ she filled in for him.

_I wish you'd just sit there and shut up._ Nico inwardly muttered, her scarlet red gaze starting to wander around the night club. Looking at people getting rejected within thirty seconds was even regarded as something more enjoyable for her to watch. _Why don't you go hit some girls and get rejected on the spot already?_

"Nico-chi, sorry for the wait, but me and Eli-chi brought the…Hmm?"

After what seemed like a bleakness eternity, Nozomi and Eli eventually strolled back to the table, holding two different trays of cold beverages and light snacks with them. A genuine look of confusion then spread across the psychology student's face as she caught sight of an unknown stranger sitting next to their long-time friend.

Eli seemed taken aback too, but quickly veiled it with a small smile. She carefully placed the tray of drinks onto the table and looked towards the other blond, now speaking out in a polite tone. "Hello, but do you know my friend here?"

Rolling her crimson red eyes patronizingly, Nico could almost swear that she saw the man's eyes lightening up in delight the moment Nozomi and Eli appeared. "Ah, yes, I've just met her not too long ago." The blond replied, curling the end of his lips into a sly smile while he scanned the quarter-Russian in front of him hungrily. "And, you are?"

The way he had his eyes narrowed in pure enchantment prompted Nico to turn her head aside disgustedly and clicked her tongue, letting out a soft, easily dismissed sound of 'tch'. Eli too, of course, have not failed to notice the look Alex was giving her and smiled awry.

"…Now that my friends are here, you can kindly leave now, _Mister_ Alex." Nico spat out, rudely emphasizing the word 'mister' as her patience had been completely worn out to this moment. The raven-haired woman irritatingly folded her arms across her chest and glared at the man next to her.

Paying no heed to the amount of venom in Nico's words, the blond dismissively waved a hand at her and rested his chestnut gaze onto Eli, grinning cheekily. "What do you say, beautiful? Me and you, on a romantic cruise together to a deserted island. I know a good traveling accompany that offers reasonable prices."

Nico held back her urge to snicker. The current look on Eli's blank facade was one of those expressions she had never seen before. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but my friend here is seeing someone already." she explained, leaning upwards to take the stylishly blue-colored cocktail on the tray. "Is this Blue Lagoon?" Eli nodded coyly.

"I see." the blond seemed unfazed. "But, it'd be boring and dull if you stayed with your boyfriend for a long period of time. We humans beings occasionally need to change our tastes too." He implied firmly, the serious tone of voice causing Eli's muscle cheeks and eyebrows to twitch. _What kind of ridiculous logic is that?_

Meanwhile, the mentioned 'boyfriend' of Eli's merely grinned. Nozomi looked highly amused and entertained, clearly enjoying every bit of this comedy skit they were currently shown.

_I wonder what will his reaction be when he finds out that Eli is dating Nozomi._ With no doubt, Nico also shared the same acquiescent feelings as the other woman. Smirking slightly, she squinted her eyes at the two and waited patiently to see what might unfold; almost as if they were at a movie cinema, watching an overly-dramatic chick-flick.

"I'd have to decline your offer, I'm sorry." Eli replied, though her expression was hardly apologetic. A blush then painted her pale cheeks as she reopened her eyes, glancing towards Nozomi softly. "…I promised myself that I'll be faithful to my lover as long as I live."

The man followed Eli's gaze, and immediately showed a dumfounded look. "…What?"

"…Pft…!" While his dull words slowly faded into the tense atmosphere, Nico chewed onto her lower lip to suppress the fits of laughter washing over her trembling body. _Well said, Eli!_ she exclaimed, inwardly flashing a big thumbs-up at the said woman. _Very well said!_

Nozomi returned the loving gaze with her own and wrapped a hand around Eli's waist, gently cuddling them. "My, my, Eli-chi. It makes me so happy to hear you say that~"

The woman in her arms blushed redder. But instead of pushing her girlfriend away, Eli leaned comfortably backwards into Nozomi's warm embrace and gripped the hem of her blouse. "Geez, Nozomi…S-Stop teasing me."

"Hehe, you are too cute, Eli-chi…" Nozomi whispered tenderly, her tone of voice quietly trailing off as the latter slowly –_temptingly_– lessened the distance between them. Although Eli herself was not prone to public displays of affection, she just couldn't help but be fascinated by those pair of gorgeous turquoise eyes that always shone with a tint of mischievousness in them, but would still soften up to the point of being motherly at times.

"Nozomi…"

Under the seemingly petrified man's bowled over gaze, Eli impulsively whispered out her girlfriend's name, reaching a slender hand up to stroke her soft tresses gently. Their flushed faces were now merely inches apart, with both women's breathing hitched as they could feel each other's hot, will-overwhelming moist breaths tickling their lips.

The man snapped at this beautiful yuri love. "W-What the hell… W-What are they doing…!?" He spluttered in authentic shock, pointing a sweaty finger towards Nozomi and Eli. The cool, flirty composure he retained from the beginning had now shattered completely.

A certain devil burst out laughing at the man's side-splitting reaction and wrapped her lithe arms across her gradually hurting stomach. "Y-You idiot…I-It's r-rude to point!" Nico managed to wheeze out with much difficulty.

A few seconds later, Alex then stood up with a dazed expression, excusing himself to go back to his table. The way he stumbled off with a depressingly dark aura surrounding his pathetic figure made Eli couldn't help but speak out.

"Did we go too far? Nozomi and I were just playing with him."

Nozomi shook her head, withdrawing her arms from the blonde's slim waist. "That'll teach him a lesson to not to hit on girls so easily."

"Oh…my gosh…" Nico breathlessly slumped onto the soft leather crouch behind her, feeling strangely refreshed. The previous heavy headache and irritation she felt had disappeared entirely without a trance. "…That was so hilarious..."

"You seemed like you were having a lot of fun there, Nico-chi."

Pausing upon those words, Nico lifted her head up, crossing gazes with Nozomi and Eli. The couple looked at her expectantly, resembling that one time when the two came over to her apartment three years ago, just to ask Nico to walk with them to the Love Live preliminary finals grounds. At that time, Nozomi even stubbornly stated that it was the cards who told her to do so.

"…Yeah."

A comfortable silence then hung over them as Nico, Nozomi and Eli simultaneously broke into knowing, amused smiles that could even melt the coldest person's heart.

_Some things just don't change, huh?_

* * *

**A/N: Nico is being flirted and hit on while Maki remains completely oblivious to it. And that poor blond guy, he's got to be traumatized for the rest of his life. NozoEli is also tempting, in a good way. …Weird chapter, I know orz. **

******Out ****of the topic, there's a ****NicoMaki duet announced to be bundled with 2nd anime Bluray disc. Coming out at the end of July. And just a few days ago, both Maki and Rin's voice actress, Pile-sama and ****Riho Ilda had formed a special unit together, naming ****"4to6"****. **

**I don't know why, but considering on what I had witnessed in the Love Live fandom, I think there's also a shipping war between NicoMaki and MakiRin, pretty much like what was happening with NozoEli and EliUmi. Seems like it'll never end with these pairings, huh? 3 Well, whatever the turnout may be, I'll still be continuing my NicoMaki stories.  
**

**Thank you for reading as always. And, a very special thanks to Lucia Hunter who helped with beta-reading. I hope we will see each other again. **


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